Beyonce-approved haircare, Byredo dry shampoo and the latest must-have from Murad
If ever there was a time to treat yourself to a new beauty buy, it's now; the world still feels uncertain and with the rules changing on what feels like a weekly basis, a little treat in your online basket is sure to brighten your day.
From moisturisers to soothe post-summer skin to self-tan to keep your skin golden, these are the latest beauty world arrivals to keep you smiling well into autumn.
Murad Clarifying Oil-Free Water Gel, £38
Loved by: Catherine Fulwood, Commercial Projects Manager
"Finally something that doesn’t make me sweat under my mask! This cooling oil-free water gel is super for blemish-prone skin and that dreaded maskne that just won’t budge. The scent is reminiscent of after-sun (just me?) and feels clean and fresh, while gently exfoliating with salicylic acid. Having recently braved a visit to the salon to sort out my nails with a cute gel mani, the pump dispenser is proving a godsend as most of the product actually ends up on my face rather than under my nails, plus fab for anyone with OCD about dipping fingers in pots. I’ve found it leaves skin so smooth it works well as a primer under makeup."
MORE GLOSS: The best gel moisturisers for lightweight hydration
Volition Celery Green Cream, £31 for 30ml
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
“Breakthrough brand Volition launched in the UK earlier this year with every product in the range food-inspired and pitched by customers who want to see their skincare dreams come true (you tell the brand what you need, it goes to a public vote and then your ideas are made into a reality). I’m glad this came to life because it’s exactly the drink my skin needs at the moment after a summer spent working at my desk outside. It combines cucumber and celery seed and has the most gorgeous delicate fresh salady scent (if you loved Boots cucumber skincare, this is your supercharged upgrade) and feels fresh and hydrating on the skin, flooding my face with purifying, comforting nourishment. I also love the brand's brightening Strawberry Serum , but that's a story for another day."
MORE GLOSS: The best fun to use fruity skincare
The Beauty Chef Inner Beauty Essential £40
Loved by: Victoria Woodhall, GTG Editorial Director
"The gut/skin connection is only now being more widely talked about, but the Beauty Chef founded by former eczema sufferer Carla Oats, has been on to it for years with its range of powders and liquids, fortified with plant compounds and bacteria to both support the skin but heal the gut. It makes sense as so many inflammatory skin conditions especially acne and eczema are linked to an imbalanced or ‘leaky’ gut. It has just launched a new supercharged version of its original bestselling Glow Inner Beauty Powder, with double the amount of vitamin C (needed to make collagen among many other things), prebiotics to feed the beneficial bacterial in the gut as well as probiotics plus a host of other skin nutrients such as vitamin B3 (niacinamide). Interestingly, it also now has three times as much zinc – not just needed for hair skin and nails but a key nutrient for supporting the immune system – very much needed right for now (ditto probiotics which are also an important immune supplement) . Often beauty powders can be a little joyless and questionable tasting but this has a very pleasant berry taste that mixes easily with your oat milk or smoothie. You only need a teaspoonful. I love it as an afternoon snack."
Ila CBD Better Day Drops, £48
Loved by: Victoria Woodhall Get The Gloss Editorial Director
"I've been observing the CBD goldrush with scepticism until now. I've simply been nervous of so many of the new oral drops that came out emblazoned with cannabis leaves as if it were some kind of legal high. It felt so much like bandwagoning and I wasn't reassured about quality or effectiveness. But when Ila's Denise Leicester puts her name to something, I know I can totally trust the integrity of the formulation and the ingredients and that it's made with heart, soul and science.
"I'm all in with these 'Better Day' drops with 5 per cent full-spectrum CBD. The active ingredient (not psychoactive of course) comes from hemp plants grown in non-contaminated soil in the US and extracted using pure alcohol – no impure solvents or heavy metals. IThe resulting liquid is been quality tested, so that you actually get the strength it says on the bottle (you'd be surprised, but this is not a given). It does taste quite earthy when you put two drops under your tongue to let them absorb, but for me, that's a sign that is hasn't gone through yet another production process to remove the taste. You can swig it in water though!
"I turn to this every day morning and night and do really feel like it's working to make my day a little lighter. If oral drops are not your thing, the same pure CBD is in all the balms and serums in the new Ila Spa CBD range. It's highly anti-inflammatory and great for topical pain relief and calming stressed skin. The Ila Spa CBD Gold Face Serum (with brightening colloidal gold) £60 is very special indeed."
Frank Body Charcoal Body Scrub and Mask, £14.95 for 140g
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, GTG social media and design
“Frank Body is the OG when it comes to body scrubs but their latest edition is a step away from the ground coffee beans we all know and love. It’s a two in one deep cleansing scrub and mask for your other cheeks; it clears 'buttne', 'bacne' and all the other ne’s your body faces by using charcoal to draw out any impurities and tea tree oil to keep breakouts at bay. I must admit, it does feel a little unusual using a body mask, but the results are worth it; my skin feels firm, toned and I’m left with a deliciously smooth peach thanks to caffeine and grapeseed oil. I love this before tanning; sometimes I’m not in the mood to use intense exfoliating gloves, but when I do need to scrub up, I opt for this, it’s a far gentler approach which still gets the job done and leaves me with an impeccable tan."
Ouai x Byredo Super Dry Shampoo Mojave Ghost by Ouai, £20 for 127g
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, GTG digital writer
"I've never been much of a dry shampoo user but after getting a fringe cut in this week at Salon64 in Soho, I have a feeling it's going to become a must-have for me. Rather than start with a budget dry shampoo, I've gone in head first with the Rolls Royce of dry shampoo, a collaboration between Kardashian hairdress Jen Atkins' Ouai and king of the fragrances, Byredo. Not only does it smell like Byredo's classic fragrance Mojave Ghost (delicate, floral, powdery) it soaks up excess oil and volumises my new short lengths too. This is set to become a staple for me."
Pai Instant Kalmer Sea Aster & Wild Oat Serum, £49 for 30ml
Loved by: Marie-Louise Pumfrey, GTG contributor
“Do you suffer from sensitive skin? And are you prone to flare-ups? If so, I’ve found a great new product to try. This super lightweight serum reduces redness with ingredients drawn from the flower sea aster plus anti-inflammatory properties from schisandra, a tiny red magnolia flower. I’ve been really impressed by this silky and calming serum and have now sent it off to my daughter who is back at Edinburgh university where the icy air wreaks havoc with her highly sensitive, post-Acutane skin . It’s also recommended for rosacea and eczema.”
Bondi Sands Self-Tanning Foam Light / Medium, £14.99 for 200ml
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, GTG social media and design
“Step one to a killer tan: use a good exfoliator as prep. Next, use Bondi Sands always. It never fails. It’s just the ultimate tan for a sun-kissed glow. This had been my go-to for maintaining my post-summer skin, it’s natural lightweight and effortlessly glides onto skin. I’m not the most careful tanner, I’m a slap and dash kinda gal, so for me to use a tan that doesn’t leave me streaky is a pure miracle. It’s enriched with aloe vera that leaves your skin incredibly smooth and hydrated and infused with a scent of coconut, no biscuity smell over here!"
Soleil Toujours Perpetual Radiance Eye Glow and Illuminator SPF15, £70 for 15ml
Loved by: Ophelia Froud, GTG contributor
"When it comes to beauty products I like them to multi-task big time. I juggle my skincare and beauty routine fast so I can race out the door which is why until now I often skip an eye cream. So hello to this which moisturises, illuminates and protects all in one sweep. If that wasn’t enough the cool gold tip applicator combined with the infusion of organic jojoba and sunflower seed oils work hard to reduce puffiness, conceal dark circles and improve elasticity. It’s fragrance, paraben, gluten-free and suitable for vegans. What's not to love about this super-duper antioxidant-rich eye bag switcher-upper? With one pump my eyes were transformed into luminous, lighter, brighter and sun safe eyes. The 100 per cent mineral SPF formula protects the thin and delicate skin around the eyes from UV rays while also gently moisturising and brightening. No more skipping eye cream for me now!"
Balance Your Agni by The Ayurveda Coach, £6.89
Loved by: Hattie Sloggett, GTG contributor
"If you’re looking for an easy to understand intro the ancient wisdom of ayurveda, this is it. Claire Paphitis aka The Ayurvedic Coach breaks through the jargon and teaches us how to balance the important connection between gut health and mental health in this easy to digest book. For those who subscribe to a more holistic approach to life then I suggest you get your hands on this staple read to help you understand the relationship between balanced digestion and better sleep, reduced stress, more energy, maintaining a healthy weight and an improved way of understanding yourself and others. For those who don't subscribe to a 'woo woo' approach, I suggest you read Balance Your Agni anyway for it is based on 5000-year-old science, and who can argue with science. You never know, you might learn something.”
Rita Hazan Smoothing Crème, £22 for 100ml
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, GTG social media and design
"At the moment, a sleek low bun in my vice – I can’t get enough of it! But one thing is for sure; my hair is tired of me slicking it back with gel. It needs a break and frankly some TLC before any damage to my hair and edges is done, so I’ve turned to the Smoothing Crème from the almighty celebrity colourist Rita Hazan; hey if she’s good enough for Beyoncé she can work for me! The Crème cuts down blow-dry time immensely and leaves you with a salon-worthy blowdry at home and let me tell you the soft sheen it leaves is incredible plus it tames my frizz and fly-aways without any tacky or heavy residue. It’s quite the multitasker as well, helping protect locks from UV and heat damage, colour fade and my biggest nemesis, humidity."